I do 10 - 20% depending on what I have in my wallet at the time. He always gets at least $5 - Sadie's grooming runs $32 - $40 if she has a cut also.

WOW MJ that is incredibly cheap for the SoCal area. In a recent groomer survey the average price for a cocker was 65 dollars in the Pacific region. That's taking into account highs and lows.

Anyway I'd say the average tipper tips me five dollars per dog. I have one customer who thinks if he is five minutes beyond his pickup time it's worth twice the groom price. I've tried over and over to refuse it, and he'll just walk away from the counter. Some tip me none. I appreciate any tips I get and I'll be honest. My tippers (as well as my regulars) get preferential treatment. I'll squeeze them in when their dog rolled in something even when I'm booked out weeks ahead, I stay late, come in early, work on my days off if I need to. The appreciate me, and I show them my appreciation back. I do an equal job on all my grooms, but I'll go the extra mile for those tippers. honestly even if it's one dollar. I do that for people I just like too though

I just want to put a plug in for owners of the grooming shop. If they groomed your dog, and you think they did a good job, tip them. So many people think just because you're the owner your raking in the big bucks shouldn't have to be tipped... whatever. That owner has overhead. That owner often stays way past when the employees leave. They've got unemployment insurance, workers comp, hours of paper work for having employees (it took me ten hours of paperwork and filing for ONE employee for a quarter in this state). They're responsible for all the supplies, the liability insurance on all the groomers. the list goes on and on. They work just as hard at grooming as the employees and beyond.

Reese has a wonderful groomer. I've taken my Cockers to Susan for over twenty years and have always gotten excellent service. Susan has groomed Cockers since she was a little girl. She breeds English Cockers and shows them and handles other people's dogs, too. She knows Cockers! That dear lady only charges me $30.00 for "the works." She's taken special care of Reese's eye issues, using the "no tears" shampoo on her face that I provide. Reese has a three hour appointment - 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Reese is always finished at the appointed time. We are always able to get an appointment when we need one. So..... I wouldn't think of tipping this most excellent groomer less than $10.00 a visit. We also give her the price of one grooming with her Christmas card. When I think of what I pay for a tiny bottle of eye drops for Reese, it would be wrong, wrong, wrong for me to give any less than a $10.00 tip.

I should mention that Susan is the owner of her shop and is the only groomer.

Good tip Julie! My groomer is also the owner. And like many others, he also participates in the show world and I see him and all the workers there as well! It is nice to support them outside the grooming shop and truly shows appreciation.

When I take my dogs, maybe every 3 months or so, sometimes more often, I always give $10 per dog as a tip. They usually run $40-$45 per dog...so I guess thats a bit over 20%. I do $10 because I feel its a decent tip and the work was the same be the charge $30 or the $45.

All that said, I don't think I'll take them again. The cage drying scares me, and I am sure they are doing that or putting them in front of a cold fan or just wet into the cage. I don't like the idea of either! If I take them again, I will insist they blow dry them on a table and charge me accordingly.

The last grooming I got was awful...I mean awful! I'm not sure they cut one hair on Abby

I think the most I've been tipped is about £5. Usually it's £1 - £3, particularly if I have charged £22 and they don't want the change from £25 for example. Please feel free to tip as much as you like!

I have taken lasey to the same shop for years. They are wonderful and they only have two people who work on her, due to her being unsteady on her feet. They even call me 15 minutes before she is done so that she doesn't have to wait long in the kennel. Their rates have gone up but since lasey is there every 8 weeks i pay $45 and tip 20 percent. I tipped double last time because her ears were a mess from medicines from an ear infection.

_________________Patty and Sophie (9/8/12)

The time, long or short, that we have with our fur babies - it is never enough.Waiting at the Rainbow bridge for us:Lasey, my shadow for 2 months shy of 18 years and Lily - 9 years old. We miss you both so much

Interesting article. I've always felt if I show those who help me I appreciate their help, they will be willing to help me again. I know if I call and ask the groomer if he can fit Sadie in, he will always do that.

I don't know if we get a special price because we've been using the same facility - different dogs/different groomers - for 17 years. We are loyal to our groomer until he/she moves on. Sadie goes twice a month. When I first started tipping, the groomer then told me very few folks tipped. I always remember them at Christmas with extra $$ and a gift. I try to remember other special events in their lives - like a new baby, etc. I guess I can feel lucky I don't have to pay $60 for her grooming. I thought $40 was high enough. Thanks for the reality check, Julie! Of course, Sadie isn't a show dog, so her cut does not have to be as particular as if she were. However, I think she always receives good cuts.

I'll have to ask you, Julie - why do most groomers put perfume on dogs when they are done? I would have thought the clean smell of her shampoo and conditioner would be enough. I'm sensitive to it and request that they don't use it, but if I forget to write it down, she'll come home smelling like she's headed for the streets at night.

I find the comments about the owner of the shop interesting, as the rule of thumb for stylists years ago was to NOT tip the owner. I always have felt funny about this, so I always did tip the owners, but probably not quite as much as I did those who rented stations.

Julie Hydro wrote:

MJ Watt wrote:

I do 10 - 20% depending on what I have in my wallet at the time. He always gets at least $5 - Sadie's grooming runs $32 - $40 if she has a cut also.

WOW MJ that is incredibly cheap for the SoCal area. In a recent groomer survey the average price for a cocker was 65 dollars in the Pacific region. That's taking into account highs and lows.

Anyway I'd say the average tipper tips me five dollars per dog. I have one customer who thinks if he is five minutes beyond his pickup time it's worth twice the groom price. I've tried over and over to refuse it, and he'll just walk away from the counter. Some tip me none. I appreciate any tips I get and I'll be honest. My tippers (as well as my regulars) get preferential treatment. I'll squeeze them in when their dog rolled in something even when I'm booked out weeks ahead, I stay late, come in early, work on my days off if I need to. The appreciate me, and I show them my appreciation back. I do an equal job on all my grooms, but I'll go the extra mile for those tippers. honestly even if it's one dollar. I do that for people I just like too though

I just want to put a plug in for owners of the grooming shop. If they groomed your dog, and you think they did a good job, tip them. So many people think just because you're the owner your raking in the big bucks shouldn't have to be tipped... whatever. That owner has overhead. That owner often stays way past when the employees leave. They've got unemployment insurance, workers comp, hours of paper work for having employees (it took me ten hours of paperwork and filing for ONE employee for a quarter in this state). They're responsible for all the supplies, the liability insurance on all the groomers. the list goes on and on. They work just as hard at grooming as the employees and beyond.

When I take my dogs, maybe every 3 months or so, sometimes more often, I always give $10 per dog as a tip. They usually run $40-$45 per dog...so I guess thats a bit over 20%. I do $10 because I feel its a decent tip and the work was the same be the charge $30 or the $45.

All that said, I don't think I'll take them again. The cage drying scares me, and I am sure they are doing that or putting them in front of a cold fan or just wet into the cage. I don't like the idea of either! If I take them again, I will insist they blow dry them on a table and charge me accordingly.

The last grooming I got was awful...I mean awful! I'm not sure they cut one hair on Abby

OMG. What do you mean the "cage drying?" Is that what they do? I had no idea. I take my cocker to Petsmart groomers and I just figured they used a blow dryer and that's why it takes so long. Should I be asking them how they dry them? Poor things.

Reese's veterinarian ophthalmologist said absolutely no "cage drying" for Reese at the groomer's. This contributes to "dry eye." Susan hand drys Reese.

Gail, that makes sense!!! I think a few groomers have simply put my girls in the cage to air dry a bit...okay for a few minutes, but beyond that, NO! I'm glad I've done most of their groomings. Now I suspect I will be doing them all. The poor dog in the UK scared me and the thought of them shivering upsets me.

I think the most I've been tipped is about £5. Usually it's £1 - £3, particularly if I have charged £22 and they don't want the change from £25 for example. Please feel free to tip as much as you like!

A friend takes my dog with 5 others so never get chance to see the groomer but from now on I will give £5 tip.

I'll have to ask you, Julie - why do most groomers put perfume on dogs when they are done? I would have thought the clean smell of her shampoo and conditioner would be enough. I'm sensitive to it and request that they don't use it, but if I forget to write it down, she'll come home smelling like she's headed for the streets at night.

Yes, that's something of a pet hate of mine too, the college I trained at always used it on their dogs and I hated it! Nice clean dog with fresh shampoo smelling of almonds or peaches or seaweed & cucumber depending on the hair type, that's what I like. I did try to introduce people to the little bows though, but I'm not too good at doing them and nobody seemed to mind it when I gave it up again!

I do cage dry if I'm doing multiple dogs, but I would never ever cover the cage over, and I use a warm dryer, but at a small distance from the cage, not with the nozzle stuck through the bars like that horrible home made dryer in the recent tragedy. And I only use it to part dry one dog while I pre clip and bath the next one, then I finish them off with the stand dryer, the dog looks so much better properly dried than cage dried I think.

Sorry, missed that perfume question. Some people like their dogs to smell more than clean. I used to use perfume (but really yummy fake people cologne Opium for girls, and Polo for boys, not lady of the night stuff) when I had an unscented shampoo. Now that my shampoo is scented I rarely use it unless the customer has said in the past that they love the way their dog smelled coming home.

The Indy and Duncan's breeder used to groom Indy. She used to charge $25 but was forced to start charging $30 due to the economy and was none to happy with herself. I believe my parents tip her $5-$10 but it's usually closer to $10. She lets them air dry, tried to a metal post in her closed garage, with a couple towels for them to lay on.

My kids get a small break on their grooming IF they are brought in within 5 weeks from their last visit. I usually take them every two weeks for baths, and a groom every other time. Bath only I tip $5 per kid and groom I tip $10 per kid.

It's easier now to "bring" them in, since I live on the kennel property and their groomer is my room-mate : )- Short commute!

Now that I do my own grooming, whenever I hear someone complain about getting charged extra for things like heavy matting, a dog that snaps or wiggles excessively, I speak up on behalf of the groomer! If you are lucky enough to have a groomer who is patient, caring and skilled then tip generously! They are worth it!

_________________Foster home to SDSR's "Party on!": Wayne Fur-ever home to SDSR's "Princess of Quite A Lot":Mia, waiting at the Bridge

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